Fibre processing

Liz Mason interviews Phil Allen from Two Rivers Mill

Photos: Matt Austin

What's your advice to anyone who is thinking about having their fleece processed for the first time?

It's definitely worth doing ! Get in contact with a mill as soon as possible and find out what they want in terms of fleece quality and preparation. Most mills have similar requirements for the fleece they process but there can be subtle differences which may make one mill more suitable than another. They can also advise you on what is possible to make with your fleece and yarns.

Will processing add value to fleece?

Definitely. It will turn the fleece into a more usable and valuable form and if you are thinking of selling it on or even making products then there will be a substantial uplift in value – x10 or more !

What do you need in terms of fleece quality to make high quality yarn?

We use the worsted process which involves combing the fibres so we need a good average staple length of at least 3 ½” (9cm). We’re also looking for good handle, lack of guard hair, good fibre strength and cleanliness. Coarse hairs significantly reduce yarn quality so by working hard at the shearing stage to avoid contamination of the blanket fleece by coarse hairs from leg, neck, belly and sweepings breeders can make a big difference to the final yarn quality. Breeding out guard hairs also provides a big long-term improvement in quality. Fibre fineness is an important factor in yarn quality. We find that fleeces with average fibre diameter in the 18 – 24 micron range (with a standard deviation of fibre diameter less than 5.5 microns) make the best yarns overall when working with pure alpaca, giving good yields and an acceptably low proportion of coarse fibres.

Can you do anything at the Mill with poorer quality fleece?

Not at our mill – if it falls outside our specification range it is too difficult to process and won’t make a good worsted yarn so it is uneconomic for us to work with. There is a huge volume of poor quality low value fleece around which is not suitable for making yarn, mostly from animals more than six years old when the fleece tends to become shorter and coarser or from animals not bred specifically for their fleece quality.

Are particular fleece colours easier to work with and would you advise blending alpaca with other natural fibres such as silk or mohair?

We find that in general, lighter coloured fleeces come in with better quality than darker fleeces and fleeces with very dark pigments tend to be more ‘slippery’ through the process but we find excellent fleeces in all colours. Blends with other natural fibres – for example, lustre wools, mohair and silk - work well when they combine desirable properties to achieve specific improved outcomes for the yarn. There is additional cost involved but there can also be significant benefits to handle, softness, lustre, colour, wear resistance and strength depending on the blend. The very creative blends can be very popular with craft knitters.

Can you process both Huacaya and Suri fleece? Should these be blended or made into separate yarns?

We can process either type of fibre on its own or blended together. Each fibre produces a yarn with different properties which are appropriate for different uses – huacaya is more lofty compared with suri which tends to make yarns with more drape. We tend to spin suri to a light 4-ply weight or finer to avoid the drape of the yarns feeling too heavy in garments. A 30/70 blend of huacaya/suri is a good combination of the loft of huacaya and the coolness and drape of suri.

What makes your job difficult? Is it fleece quality or poor presentation for instance?

Many things – natural fibres, complex machines and the factory environment – work together to make processing difficult. Poor fleece presentation means we have to spend more time sorting out the fleece that will work well enough in the process. Even a small amount of skirting or sorting done before sending the fleeces can make a bit difference to the amount of work we have to do. Poor fleece doesn’t make good yarn and our website gives lots of guidance about what we consider good fleece for yarn. Each batch of fibre is different and the machines need to be adjusted to get the best results. There is a range of fibre properties which suit our process and machines and if the fibre is too short or long, coarse or fine then we have more problems.

The environment in the factory is also important and long spells of warm dry weather can make it difficult to maintain the high humidity conditions essential for fibre control.

Phil Allen

You use the worsted process – what is this and how does it differ from any other processing method?

The main differences with other processing methods are the multiple stages of fibre blending to improve evenness and the unique combing stage which aligns the fibres and removes all sorts of faults and impurities to make a smooth, clean and compact yarn. It means that we can spin finer yarns and be more confident that the yarns have the strength and uniformity needed to make high quality machine-knit and woven products.

What do owners need to do to have the best chance of making and selling a good end product?

Think carefully about the product and the market before starting then choose the manufacturing partners that will help you achieve your aim. There will be a lot of time and money invested in all the stages of production – growing the fleece, spinning the yarn, designing and manufacturing the product then advertising and selling for the best price possible – and doing it all again when you are successful!

Ideally you would start with the product and work backwards along the production process to the fleece specification – which hopefully your animals will provide. Sometimes it is necessary to source additional fibre to make up the quality of fleece you need and maybe the quantity if you are more ambitious!

Can you tell us about any projects that you've worked on that have impressed you?

We are fortunate to have been involved with a lot of creative people and very skilled knitters and weavers who have made fabulous garments from the yarns we have made from small runs of fine yarns for one-off cloth designs to 100kg runs of machine-knitting yarn for a long-established high end knitwear brand – each project brings its own challenges and rewards. We are just one of the stages involved in the whole manufacturing process and we very much enjoy seeing the results of other people’s imagination and skills.